“Equalizer 2, “Pacific Rim 2” Shooting Updates

First up, “The Magnificent Seven” producer Todd Black has confirmed that shooting on the sequel to Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington’s “The Equalizer” reboot has set a start date with both the director and actor returning for the follow-up, as is the first film’s writer Richard Wenk who co-wrote “Magnificent Seven” with “True Detective” scribe Nic Pizzolatto.

Talking about the status of “The Equalizer 2,” Black tells Collider: “The script is done. We start shooting right after Labor Day, maybe right before Labor Day depending on Denzel’s schedule. So Equalizer 2 will start shooting in September of next year, maybe earlier depending on another movie that we’re shooting with Denzel before that. We’re going to do a little bit more work and we’re going to go into casting right after that for his nemesis.”

Meanwhile, production on the sequel to Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” will be getting underway sooner with shooting to begin in November this year in Australia and China. Steven S. DeKnight is taking over as director of the film which stars John Boyega, Scott Eastwood, Cailee Spaeny and has just added Levi Meaden (“Aftermath”) and Jing Tian (“New Police Story”) to its roster. The film is targeting a February 23rd 2018 release.